Water closets



July 23, 1957 c. R. DUFAULT 2,799,865

WATER CLOSEIS Filed Nov. 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 23, 1957 c. R. DUFAULT WATER CLOSETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 4, 1954 INVENTOR C hourLeS NIS Q-H. 5

United rates Patent 2,799,865 Patented July 23, 1957 WATER CLOSETS Charles R. Dufauit, St. Boniface, Manitoba, Canada Application November 4, 1954, Serial No. 466,746

6 Claims. (Cl. 4-41) My invention relates to new and useful improvements in water closets, the principal object and essence of my invention being to provide a device of the character herewithin described which eliminates the dripping of water exteriorly of the tank due to condensation and, at the same time, provides a water closet unit which is relatively silent in operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which can either be fitted to existing tanks or can, if desired, be fitted in a tank which is adapted to go inside a conventional tank.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which can either be designed to flush when operated or can, alternatively, be adapted to fill and then flush when operated.

Another object in association with the foregoing object is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the tank may remain empty until flushed, at which time the tank fills and then automatically discharges, remaining empty until next required.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the float normally required to shut off the water flow cannot become waterlogged.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is simple in construction, extremely eflicient in operation, and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other ob- A jects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an enlarged sectional view of the valve unit of my device.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of one embodiment of my device within a water closet tank substantially along the lines 22 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but taken along the lines 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of an alternative embodiment of my device.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the silencer.

' Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the inlet pipe of my device.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the detent lever portion of my device.

, In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the difierent figures.

The conventional water closet tank sufiers from the disadvantage of sweating due to the existence of the cold body of water within the tank causing condensation of water vapour from the surrounding atmosphere. Furthermore, the conventional water closet valve mechanism includes a hollow float which, if punctured, may waterlog, thus causing continuous flow within the tank.

My device hereinafter to be described overcomes both of these disadvantages as well as providing an extremely silent operating device.

Proceeding now to describe my invention in detail, reference should be made to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of my device, in which the first embodiment thereof is illustrated.

In Figure 2 a conventional water closet tank 1 is illustrated having a second tank 2 therewithin in spaced relationship from the inner walls of the first tank. An angle iron member 3 supports one end of the inner tank 2 and an inlet pipe 4 passing through the base 5 of the outer tank and the base 6 of the inner tank, maintain the opposite end of the inner tank 2 in the desired spaced relationship from the tank 1.

A valve unit collectively designated 7 is provided within the tank adjacent the base 6 thereof and consists of a hollow casing 8 having an inlet pipe 9 connected to the base 10 thereof, and extending to the aforementioned inlet 4, as clearly seen in Figure 1.

In this connection, conventional glands 11 and 12 are provided where the inlet passes through the tanks 5 and 6. A horizontally disposed perforated ball valve cage 13 spans the interior 14 of the casing 8 and carries therewithin a ball 15, which is adapted to seat against a valve seat 16, preferably made of rubber, held within an annular shoulder 17 formed on one side of the casing 8. Opposite this annular shoulder is a detachable threaded plug 18 engageable within the side of the casing whereby the cage 13 and the ball 15 may be reached for replacement and cleaning as desired.

Extending from the shoulder 17 is a downturned outlet portion 19 terminating in a tank inlet pipe assembly 20, which is shown in detail in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings. This inlet pipe includes a downwardly extending pipe 21 connected to the outlet portion 19, the lower end of pipe 21 communicating with a transverse conduit 22, which is closed at the ends 23 thereof, but which is perforated as at 24 to enable water to pass into the interior of the tank 2. By the provision of a multitude of relatively small apertures 24, the water enters the tank with the minimum of noise.

The ball 15 is maintained upon the seat 16 normally.

by means of the water pressure existing within the inlet 4-, but means are provided to move the ball 15 from the seating when the filling cycle is undertaken, this cycle being initiated by the flushing of the tank.

The cycle is set into motion by the handle 25 exteriorly of the tank, said handle being connected to a rod 26 passing through the side walls of both tanks and terminating with a diagonally situated lever 27 shown in Figure 2. intermediate the ends of this lever a slot 27' is provided within which is pivotally connected a downwardly depending lever 28, the lower end of which is in turn pivotally connected to an arm 29 of a bell crank lever 39, said bell crank lever being pivotally supported within a bracket 31 extending from the valve casing, as shown in Figure 1. The other arm 32 of the bell crank lever is adapted to engage a ball valve plunger 33, which passes through a gland 34 within the valve casing and is adapted to bear against the ball 15, a rubber tip 35 being provided upon the inner end of the plunger 33 for this purpose. Therefore, when the lever 25 is actuated, the rod 28 is moved in the direction of arrow 36, thus actuating the bell crank and depressing plunger 33, which in turn moves the ball 15 from the seating 16 against the water pressure existing within the inlet 2 and therefore permits the water to flow through the inlet and then into the inner tank 2 via the conduit 26 as hereinbefore described. Means are provided to maintain the bell crank against the plunger 7 331m depress the ball 8.

during this cycle, and are associated with the shut-ofl? means. This shut-oft means takes the form of a hollow semispherical float 37 secured adjacent the upper end of a rod 38, the upper end of which passes through a. bracket 39=adjacent-the upper endof the'upper side of the tank and is allowed to slide freely through this bracket; Thebottom end 39' ofrod 38 is pivotally connected to a lever tL-the oppositeend 4-1 of which is pivotally C0117" nected to a bracket 42 secured to the valve unit immediatelytabove the bracketfil carrying the bell crank 3%.

Upon the underside d3 of the lever 49 is formed a detent 44 adapted to engage the upper end 45 of the arm 32 of the bell crank when same is moved against the plunger 'It will be appreciated that the weight of the float 37 causes the lever 48 to be'in its lowered position so that the .detent 44 will hold the bell crank in this position with the 02111.15 open, thus permitting the tank toiill. As

water reachesthe underside of the 'float 37, it causes the float to rise, together with the rod 33, thus lifting the lever 49 so that the detent 4d disengages the upper end 45 'of the bell crank arm 32, thus permitting water prev sure to close the ball 15 on its seating 16 and push the plunger 33 outwardly. In this connection, I have provided a pair of straps 46 one uponeach side of lever .9

merely passes downwardly'between the tw o tanks, and

and float assembly of the device illustrated in Figure 4 is to the rod 28. When this device is operated, it being assumed that' secured to brackets 42 and carrying a pin 47 adjacent the outer ends thereof against which the upper end of the bell crank arm 32 may rest when the ball valve 15 is in the closed position, as shown in Figure 1.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the tank is normally full of'water until the flushing action takes place, at which time the lever 25 is actuated; At

t the same time that the lever 25 opens the ball valve 15,

and permits water to flow within the tank, the lever 27 is actuated. The lower end 49 of the lever 27 freely encircles a tubular extension 59 of a ball valve 51, which in turn is adapted to engage within a ball valve seating 52, at the discharge opening 53 within the base of tank 2, a rodSd being engageable by the tube 50 in order to guide the movement of the valve 1. As the lower end 49 of lever 27 is raised,'it engages a collar 48 on an extensionv 50, thus lifting the ball valve 51 from the seat 52 and the buoyancy of the valve causes it'to rise to the position shown in phantom in Figure 3. As. the water level descends, the ball valve 51 descends also until the last discharge of the tank draws the ball valve into engagement withthe seating 52 and the pressure of water now filling the, tank maintains it inthe seat in the conventional manner. I As lever '28 is raised, the pin anchoring the upper end of lever 27in slot 27' slides to the lower end of the slot whereupon rod 28' is. raised and when the actuating lever is released, the rod 27 is permitted to move down-- wardly due to gravity,rand the pin connecting 28 to 27 merely slides upon the slot freely and at the same time the lever 23 inclines. This permits the slope to descend without vertical movement of rod 28 It will be noted that a further discharge is provided within the base of the outer tank 1, this discharge connecting with the water closet in the conventional manner. It will also be noted that there is no direct connection between the discharge 53 and the discharge 55, it being understood that when the discharge valve 51 is lifted by actuation of lever 25, water passes directly downwardly through the discharge 55 and at the same time may flow within the space 56 between the bases of the two tanks.

7 Once the initial force of water has been spent, any water embodiment, as any'water overflowing the inner tank precisely the same as that hereinbefore described for the previous embodiment, the main distinction being the provision of the discharge unit.

This discharge unit comprises a discharge 57 within the base 58 of the tank 59 and a ball valve 60 adapted to seat thereon. a support 62 intermediate the ends thereof and is pivotally connected by the ends 63 to an upwardly extending portion 64 of the ball valve 60. a

The opposite end 65 of this transverse lever'freely encircles the rod 28 of the valve unit and is actuated thereby because of the provision of a flange 66 upon the upper side of the lever 65, said flange being secured the tank is empty, rod 28 is raised in the direction of arrow- 36-, as hereinbefore described, thus closing by gravity the ball valve 69 upon the discharge 57 and, at the same time, opening the valve unit to permit water to flow from the inlet into the tank. As the tank fills, the float 37 is raised, thus closing ofi the valve unit and releasing the bell crank 30, the horizontal arm 29' of vwhich drops, together with rod 28, thus tipping lever 61 and raising the ball valve 60 clear of the discharge, so'that-thetank immediately flushes The ball valve 69 remains open withthe tank empty until the tank is flushed again by actuation of lever 25. In this conmotion, as there is only a single wall tank, an overflow is required and this is illustrated bythe reference character 67 taking the conventional form, this overflow also acting as a support for bracket "62.

With the ball valve 15 closing, under the pressureof water existing within the main inlet, a silencer is requir'ed particularly in districts having a relativelyhigh water pressure. 7 This silencertakes the form of a closed end cylinder 68 filled with pieces of resilient material,

such as'rubber, and-illustrated by the reference character 69. A rubber plunger 70 is provided adjacentthe openend, which is connected to theinlet pipe 2 in a convenient position. p a I In the first'embodiment, this may be placed between the bases of thetwo tanks as illustrated in Figure 1 or, with the single tank, as illustrated in Figure14, it may be secured tothe valve unit, as illustrated in'Figure- 4, a threaded portion 71 being provided, as shown in Figure 1. 'It will 'be' appreciated that in Figure 1 with the silencers between the tanks, a plug 72 is required to close widely differentembodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from.

such spirit and scope, it isfintended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall'be interpreted as-illustrative onlyand not in'ia limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is: a i i I 1. In a water closet tank, a valve unit, awaterinlet from a'so'urce of supply to said valve unit, and a water outlet frorrrsaid valve unit into said tank, a selectively operabledischarge opening intthe baseof said tank," and means operable exterially of; said tank adapted to actuate;

A transverse lever 61is pivoted upon said discharge opening and to open said valve unit, said valve unit comprising a hollow casing, a perforated ball valve cage spanning said casing, a ball valve in said cage, a valve seat engageable by said ball valve, said outlet from said unit being on one side of said ball valve, and said inlet to said unit being on the opposite side of said ball valve, the water pressure in said inlet normally maintaining said ball valve closed against said seating, a ball valve plunger engageable with one side of said ball valve to open said ball valve against said water pressure, said means operable exterially of said tank adapted to open said ball valve including a bell crank pivoted intermediate the ends thereof to said valve unit, one arm of said bell crank adapted to engage one end of said plunger, the other arm of said bell crank being operatively connected to said means, and further means adapted to close said ball valve when said tank is full, last-mentioned means including a float in said tank, a rod depending from said float, a lever pivoted by one end thereof to said valve unit above said valve bell crank, a detent on the underside of said lever selectively engageable by the end of said bell crank arm engageable with said plunger, the lower end of said float rod being pivotally connected to the outer end of said lever, the actuating of said exterially operated means adapted to engage said end of said bell crank arm within said detent, thereby maintaining said plunger against said ball valve, the raising of said float disengaging said detent and permitting said water pressure to close said ball valve.

2. The device according to claim 1 in which said means operable exterially of said tank to actuate said discharge includes a valve seating at said discharge, a ball valve selectively engageable therewith, a link pivoted intermediate the ends thereof and pivotally connected by one end thereof to said ball valve, the other end of said link being operatively connected to said exterially operated means.

3. The device according to claim 2 which includes a silencer associated with said unit, said silencer including a cylinder closed at one end, a plunger adjacent the open end of said cylinder, and compressible packing within said cylinder between said plunger and said closed end.

4. The device according to claim 2 in which said float is a hollow open-faced semisphere, said open face being upon the underside thereof.

5. The device according to claim 1 in which said float is a hollow open-faced semisphere, said open face being upon the underside thereof.

6. The device according to claim 1 which includes a silencer associated with said unit, said silencer including a cylinder closed at one end, a plunger adjacent the open end of said cylinder, and compressible packing Within said cylinder between said plunger and said closed end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,640,947 Lockhart Aug. 30, 1927 1,907,193 Weaver May 2, 1933 2,465,866 Gaines Mar. 29, 1949 2,520,346 Swenson Aug. 29, 1950 

